


Ivy Maria Storm

by DuckTruffle



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Addiction, Anxiety Attacks, Best Friends, Boarding School, F/M, Father Figures, First Love, Found Family, Friendship, Hogwarts, Late Nights, Manipulation, Orphan - Freeform, Past Abuse, References to Depression, Secret Crush, Secret Tunnels, Singing, Slytherin, Smoking, Sneaking Around Hogwarts, Underage Drinking, and a cutie, low-key tho Draco is a big softie, rock music
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2020-11-24 00:40:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20898788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DuckTruffle/pseuds/DuckTruffle
Summary: “I never used to believe in love. Opening your heart to others gave them more ways to break it. So for the longest time, I had nothing. And then I had you. And all of a sudden everything was okay.”-----------------------------------------------Ivy Maria  Storm has built a barrier between herself and the world. Having no one in her life means that no one can hurt her. But after running away from her orphanage, she realizes something she never thought possible: she has magic. After being sent to Hogwarts, Ivy finally has a place to belong. And it's terrifying.





	1. Chapter 1

I glanced into the mirror and winced, as I brushed my fingers around the rapidly darkening bruise on my left cheek. It'll go away, I remind myself. You've dealt with worse.

A loud crash came from outside my door and I flinch. I know what this means. I frantically search the girls' bedroom for a place to hide. I sprint over to the closet and silently shut the door, as I take in my surroundings. It's a small, grimy room, probably crawling with spiders. But for now, none of that matters. I just have to stay silent enough to ride out the storm. The door to the bedroom is burst open and slow uneven footsteps creep around the room. “You think ye can hide from me, little girl?”  
He slurs. I hold my breath and try not to make any noise. I know in my gut that this isn't going to work. He's found me before and he’ll do it again. My eyes seal shut when I hear the closet door creak. The door opens and my senses are overtaken by the smell of whiskey. He pulls me by the arm till I'm standing in front of him. My eyes are still closed as tight as they can be when the first blow comes. I'm struck across the face and fall to the floor in pain. I don't show any tears though. Tears are a sign of weakness. He kicks me in the leg before leaning close to my face. “Think before you run that little mouth of yours next time girl.” he spits, getting up and wobbling drunkenly through the doorway. I’m left to pick myself off the floor. 

After doing just that, I look into the mirror once again. It's no longer a shock to me that when I do, I don't see anyone in the emerald-green eyes that used to be so full of light. I'm broken and I'm well aware of it. Being stuck in this godforsaken orphanage is the reason. if one thing's for sure, I will not be held up here any longer. In a spur of the moment decision fueled by fear, hatred, and mostly anger, I stuff as many clothes as I can into my ratty old black backpack that i've had forever. I swiftly sneak through the old, broken window at the back of the room, and without giving a second glance, I leave.


	2. Chapter 2

It was finally hitting me. I’m homeless. Homeless. What am I supposed to do!? I’ve got no friends or family. I’ve got nowhere to go. Panic was sinking into my abdomen like a big ball of knotted yarn. The streets of London aren’t the safest place to be for an 11-year-old girl at nighttime, when thugs and crooks roam the streets, looking for anyone, and anything to steal from. There’s no way I could fall asleep anywhere near here, so my only choice is to keep walking till sunrise, then maybe I can find a park bench or alleyway to sleep in.

After wandering the city for an hour, I slip into a quieter, suburban street. Privet Drive. “What a stupid name”  
I whisper to myself. Every house looked the same. Tall brown bricks and black garage doors stared at me from every angle. Aside from the houses, I could see a small park that looked safe for a quick rest, which was great, because I could already feel my limbs growing heavy with exhaustion. I trudged over to it, climbed up the little rock wall and sat on the jungle gym floor. Just as my eyes were about to close, I heard a shout followed by a loud bang, and practically jumped out of my skin. “What the FUCK was that? You weren’t supposed to SHOOT him, you dumbass!”  
“I thought he was pulling out a gun, what was I supposed to do?!”   
Shit. shitshitshitshitshit. Those men KILLED someone. I’m only a few meters away, so to run would just get me killed faster. My breath was coming out all ragged, and I felt sick. I knew that I’d be next. I was going to die. The first man started looking around, panicked. “Do you hear that?”   
“Hear what?”   
the other responded. “Breathing. Someone’s here.”   
They were both panicking now. As they looked around the area, we made eye contact and they came towards me. “Well, well. What do we have here?”   
The second man said while walking towards me. “I d-didn’t see anything, I p-promise!”   
I blurted. “Well, I’m sorry, but we can’t risk it, hun.”   
The man replied, pulling out his pistol. I honestly don’t know what came over me at that moment, but the adrenaline from this whole situation was settling in. in less than a second, I shot up and punched him in the stomach. The look of fury on his face took me off the high. I knew that I screwed up. he shoved me down on to the ground and smiled wickedly. the first blow came to my face and knocked me over. I tried to get back up and fend for myself but was struck down once more, by the other man. I felt anxiety and rage overtake all of my senses. what happened next didn't feel like it came from me. it was like I wasn't operating my body at all. I slowly raised from the floor, hot with fury. It was like someone was screaming at me in my brain. hurt them. make them pay. 

the last thing I remember is a blinding green light and collapsing to the floor.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to leave comments below! hope you enjoy xx

I woke up with a splitting headache, and not a clue where I was. Looking around the room, I could see that it was a living room of sorts. Regardless of wherever the hell I was, I needed to get out. Now. I propped myself up and jumped off the couch, immediately regretting it. Every inch of my body ached like I had just run a marathon, and I fell right back onto the couch. Freaking out would be putting it lightly. I felt like the walls were closing in on me. A nervous ball of energy was building up in my stomach was about to explode and I was panting from being out of breath. What was happening to me? “You alright there?”   
The sudden voice startled me, and I slipped off the couch. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to startle you!”  
He said, rushing over to help me up. He was a tall skinny man, with messy brown hair and amber eyes. Looking at him, I could tell he wasn’t a bad person. Maybe it was his eyes. They seemed genuine and kind. I felt oddly relaxed in his presence, but not relaxed enough to not interrogate him. He did KIDNAP me, regardless of his intentions. I regained some of my confidence and spoke. “Okay, what happened, where am I, who are you and also WHAT THE FUCK?!”   
I yelled, surprised at the volume of my voice. “it’s all right, I know that you must be confused, but I’m not going to hurt you. my name is Remus. Remus Lupin.”   
he spoke with a soft smile on his face. “I was walking by the park when I saw you… being attacked by those men.”  
the smile quickly faltered as he went on. “I rushed over to help you, but, well, can you recall anything that happened after that?”   
“Not really. I remember a bright green light, then I guess I passed out.”   
I replied. I was feeling unsure of where this conversation was going, and it was making me nervous. “Well, that light was... it was magic. Surprisingly powerful magic. You’re a witch, Ivy.”  
“Pardon me?”   
I asked, dumbfounded. Obviously he was joking. There’s no such thing as witches. Or magic. “I know this is a lot, and you must have questions, so please, fire away.”   
He replied. “So.. Wait you’re not joking then. You’re serious. Magic is real?”   
“Indeed it is,”  
He answered with a smile. “Witches and wizards are real. And you are one.”  
My disbelief was fading away. I was pretty good at telling when someone was lying, and he was dead serious. “Right then. Magic is real and I’m a witch. Is that all?”   
I said. “You believe me?”   
he asked in disbelief. “I can tell when people are lying. You’re not. I can see it in your eyes. They’re... genuine. Truthful.”  
I responded. “Well.. thank you? I’m glad you believe me. Not many people would.”   
“Yeah, well I'm not most people. So, this magic, what am I supposed to do with it? It’s pretty obvious that I can’t control it. How can I learn?”  
“Hogwarts. It's the United Kingdom’s school for witchcraft and wizardry. I think that it would do you a lot of good.”  
He explained  
“Hogwarts? That's a stupid name.”  
I said sarcastically.  
“Yes, I suppose it is,” Remus said with a smirk.   
“How do we get there?”   
“By train. The Hogwarts Express leaves in two days actually. I was thinking we could go to Diagon Alley to buy your books and supplies tomorrow. But it’s been an extremely long day. You must be exhausted, I think it would be best if you went to sleep for the night”   
I looked over at the antique clock in the corner of the room and read the time. 2:30 AM. “shit, I probably should.”  
I agreed as Remus got up to leave. “Remus?”   
I called out. “Thank you. I don’t know where I would be if you hadn’t saved me today.”  
I said with an uncomfortable face. Sharing, or even talking about my feelings has never been something I could do, but this man saved my life. I owed him this much.”  
“It was the right thing to do”  
He said with his signature kind smile. “Goodnight Ivy.”  
He said as he turned off the lights.  
“Goodnight Remus. And thank you again”


	4. Chapter 4

_You really think you’re important? That anyone cares about you? You don’t matter to anyone. You might as well not exist. Or better yet, go jump off a roof.”_  
_His rough hand collided with my face and I fell to the floor, he grabbed me up by the neck and brought me close to his face. The cheap whiskey and tobacco stained breath hit my face, and I gagged. “Stupid bitch”_  
_He snickered. The freshly lit cigar in his left hand came dangerously close to my neck. “maybe this’ll teach you a lesson.”_  
_Before I could even wrap my head around what he meant, he touched his cigar to my collarbone. The burning pain was searing and I could already see the scar forming. my eyes watered in pain, but no tears fell. Because tears were for the weak. I waited until he left the room. _

_Nobody loves you. You are worthless. Just kill yourself. Just kill yourself. _

_Nobody will care._

I woke up in a cold sweat. My lungs were closing in on me. I needed to breathe. I couldn’t breathe. Why? Why the fuck was this always happening? I needed to calm myself down. I needed a drink. I quietly got up off the couch and wandered over to Remus’s kitchen. In the room’s corner, there was a tall cedar liquor cabinet. “Just what the doctor ordered”  
I mumbled to myself. I quickly scanned through the cabinet, before settling on a bottle of vodka. “Perfect”  
I whispered. 

Four shots in and I was finally starting to feel better. The alcohol was slowly starting to weaken my senses. I ditched the cup and took a long swig out of the bottle. “Ivy? what the hell are you doing?”  
In the kitchen’s doorway stood Remus. his eyes practically popped out of his head. “Are you drinking?!”   
“no?...”   
I replied. I tried to sound convincing but ended up sounding just as confused as he was.  
“You’re holding the bottle!! Ivy, you’re 11 years old! This isn’t right, put that away right now!”  
he yelled.

“No”   
I responded. “What the hell do you mean, no?!”  
“I mean no. this isn’t wrong. Do you know what's _wrong_?”  
My voice wavered in fury as I walked towards him, standing a mere two feet apart.   
“What's _wrong_ is living in a shitty orphanage that didn’t have running water for a week. What's _wrong_ is that the only thing that we could drink was the whiskey that our so-called caregiver kept in hordes. So yeah, maybe I do drink the stuff. Maybe I'm even addicted. And maybe to you, that may seem wrong, but do you have any fucking _clue_ the shit I’ve been through?”   
I spat. My rule about not crying was long gone. Tears were flowing down my face like a waterfall. Remus’s expression softened. I could see the sadness and shock. Emotions made me uncomfortable, so I turned to walk away, but before I could move even a foot away, Remus grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him, and I was engulfed in a huge hug.

“You're hugging me.”   
I stated. “Yes, I am”  
He replied. “_Why_ are you hugging me?”   
I asked in complete confusion. “I'm sorry ivy. I'm so sorry for everything that has happened to you. You didn’t deserve it. And I swear to you I will try to make it better.”  
“I… thanks. Thank you. And I'm sorry for this, it’s just… it's the only way I've been able to calm down for a long time.”   
“It's all right, Ivy. I know that it's been hard. I hope I’ll be able to help you.”  
We shared a smile as I dried my tears on my sleeve and calmed down. “Um… Remus? Do you think I could maybe... sleep in your room?”   
I asked shyly, turning bright red. “I don’t want to have another nightmare. I think it would help to be in a room with someone.”   
He smiled back at me. “Of course you can. And I'm glad that you can trust me.”  
I walked with him back to his room and we both climbed onto the bed. “Goodnight Ivy,” he whispered.  
“Goodnight Remus.”   
Being there made me feel one hundred times better. I drifted off into a peaceful, dreamless slumber that lasted all night. 

For the first time in my life, I felt safe.


	5. Chapter 5

“Ivy? Ivy, wake up.”

“Huh? Wha...what time is it?”

I got up from the bed and made eye contact with Remus, who was standing by the bed. I feel the sun hitting my face through the windows. He was already dressed and everything. “It's 7. The Hogwarts express doesn’t leave till eleven, but we have to get to Diagon alley so that we can buy your supplies.”   
He answered. “Alright. When are we leaving?”   
“In thirty minutes. You should get changed. I'll give you some privacy.” With that, He left me to get ready for the day to come.   
I opened my backpack and settled on a pair of black jeans and my oversized Queen t-shirt. I stole it from a thrift store a year ago. It's my favorite band and favorite piece of clothing. The t-shirt stops mid-thigh and has their crest on the front. I didn't bother with my hair. It looked better messy anyways. I finished getting dressed, then walked out of the room to go find Remus. I found him in front of the door, holding a brown leather bag in one hand, and my black backpack in the other. “You ready to go?”  
“I think so.”  
I responded. 

We took the tube and got out after about thirty minutes. After getting out, we walked for a few minutes, before reaching a shabby looking, hole in the wall bar. 

“The leaky cauldron? I thought we were going to that place to buy my school supplies. Why are we at a bar?”  
I questioned.   
“We aren't here for the bar. We're here for what's behind it.”  
He replied simply. What the fuck was he going on about? What's behind it? The man’s nice and all, but he can be really confusing sometimes. Remus led me through the bar and into the alley behind it.  
“Alright… three bricks up and two across… that should do it.”  
He whispered under his breath.  
“That should do what? What are you talking about Remus? You're being weird.”  
“Just watch”  
He replied. 

I watched, as the brick, he pressed went in a small hole, and then created a large archway that led to some sort of crowded shopping market.  
“Holy shit”  
I whispered.  
“Language.”  
He warned.  
“But yeah. Holy shit is right.”  
He replied playfully. I let out a small chuckle and he grinned.   
We walked side by side through the market. he stopped in front of a store called flourish and blotts.  
“This is where were going to buy your books for the year. You can look around the shop if you want. I’ll grab them and come find you when i'm done.”  
“Ok.”  
I replied. Remus walked away, and I was left to wander around. Not that I was complaining. It was pretty cool. As I walked through the aisles, I accidentally bumped into someone.

“Hey! Watch where you're walking!”  
I stumbled backward and got a look at who it was. He looked about my age and had white-blonde hair.   
“I'm sorry. I didn't see you there”  
I apologized.  
“Yeah well LOOK next time.”  
He spat.

“You don't have to be such a dick,”  
I started angrily.  
“It was an accident and it probably didn't hurt that much. So suck it up.”  
The boy looked taken aback as if he wasn't used to people talking to him like that.   
“What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?”   
I asked sarcastically.   
“Apologies.”  
He breathed. It seemed like that was hard for him to say.  
“I was just a bit agitated. Didn't mean to be… such a dick?”  
He smirked.  
“Apology accepted.”  
I answered. 

“The names Draco. Draco malfoy” He said, holding out his hand. He was acting oddly fancy for an 11-year-old. He was probably rich or something. “Ivy Storm,” I replied, shaking his hand. 

“Are you in the first year too?”  
He asked.   
“Yup.”

I spotted Remus a few feet away trying to get my attention.  
“Well I've gotta get going, but it was nice to meet you. I guess I'll be seeing you around.”  
“I suppose so.”  
He smiled.

“I hope you get sorted into Slytherin. I get the feeling that we’d probably get along quite well”  
I gave Draco a quick grin and then walked around him and towards Remus. Once I caught up to him I asked, 

“Remus, what's Slytherin? And what does it mean to be sorted?”  
“Once you get to Hogwarts, they have a little ceremony where they put the sorting hat, a magical hat, on you, and it sort of analyzes you. Then it puts you into one of four houses. Gryffindor, for the brave and courageous, Hufflepuff, for the patient and loyal, Ravenclaw, for the intelligent and creative and Slytherin, for the ambitious and cunning.”

“Which house were you in?”  
“Gryffindor. Though I was fairly certain I was going to get Ravenclaw, my housemates became my family. And I'm sure whatever house you get sorted into will be the same.”  
He said kindly.  
“Right then. We should head over to the train station now. Its almost 11.”  
He stated.   
“Great. I'm actually pretty excited. This is gonna be fun.”  
I said eagerly. In less than an hour, I would be at wizarding school. And who knows? Maybe that place could be my home.


	6. Chapter 6

Remus and I made our way through the crowded train station, bags from Diagon alley in hand. 

“We should hurry, Ivy. The train’s leaving in half an hour.” 

He led me through the crowded station. We stopped in front of one of the many brick pillars in the building. 

“Remus… why did we stop? You said the train was leaving soon?”

“I know. We’re almost at Platform nine-and-three quarters.” He replied. 

“Platform nine-and-three-quarters? Remus, that’s not a thing. Are you hearing yourself?”

I asked him, puzzled. He turned to me and knelt down, so we were face to face.

“Do you trust me, Ivy?”

He asked, with a mischievous smile on his face. “I've never actually trusted anyone before. And I know this sounds stupid, but… but I don't know what it feels like.”

“It doesn't sound stupid Ivy. you need to stop blaming yourself for things that aren’t your fault. And as for what it feels like… well, do you think I would ever hurt you?”

“No.” 

I answered truthfully.

“And do you feel safe around me?” 

I let my mind wander back to the night before. 

  
  


_ “Um… Remus? Do you think I could maybe... sleep in your room?”  _

_ I asked, turning bright red. “I don’t want to have another nightmare. I think it would help to be in a room with someone.”  _

_ He smiled back at me. “Of course you can. And I'm glad that you trust me.” _

_ I walked with him back to his room and we both climbed onto the bed. “Goodnight Ivy.” he whispered. _

_ “Goodnight Remus.”  _

_ Being there made me feel one hundred times better. I drifted off into a peaceful, dreamless slumber that lasted all night. For the first time in my life, I felt safe. _

  
  


“Yeah. I do feel safe around you.”

I responded. Honestly, even though we had just met, I don't think I had ever felt as safe as when I was with him. it was weird. “Well then. I think it's safe to say that you trust me. And since you do, I need you to do something for me.”

“Okay… what is it”

“I need you to run into that brick pillar over there.”

“what the fuck did you just say.”

I deadpanned. 

“Don’t think, just run!”

He encouraged. All right, Ivy, I know this sounds crazy, but you trust him. Just do it. “Ok. here goes nothing.”

I grabbed my bag and ran full speed at the pillar, my body braced for impact. But that impact never came. I just kept running and running… until I opened my eyes and found myself in a completely different place. 

Remus caught up to me, standing right at my side.

“Holy shit right?”

He joked.

“You know me so well.”

I responded sarcastically. 

“This place is bonkers.”

I continued as I looked around the new train station. It was full to the brim with people who I could only assume were wizards and witches. They sported long black robes, and some had owls and cats by their side. Beams of magic bounced all around. It was amazing. 

“Hey, I forgot, I still have your wand.”

He handed me the thin black box that contained my wand. It was a 12 and a half inches long and was made of alder wood and dragon heartstrings. there were small emeralds droplets all around the wand, making it faintly sparkle in the light. Whenever I held it, I felt magic coursing through my veins. “Thank you.”

I said as I took it from him. 

“Ah, here comes the train.”

He remarked as the red-steel train approached us. Young boys and girls started piling onto the train. “I'm afraid this is where we part.”

He told me as he once again knelt down so we were face to face. “Goodbye, Ivy.”

“Goodbye, Remus.”

I said sadly. Before I even knew what I was doing, I flung myself into his arms, and we hugged tightly. “Don't forget, you can write to me whenever you want.”

He reminded. I nodded, gave him one last smile, grabbed my bags and got onto the train. It was time to start my new life. I was kind of terrified. 

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

I looked through the window of my cabin on the train as the station got further and further away with every passing second and with it, every last bit of my old life. It felt somewhat freeing. I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard someone open the door. 

“Is this room full?”  
The redhead asked as he took a few steps in. I didn't exactly want to have company right now, but I wasn't about to turn him away. I guess I was in an especially happy mood or something. “No. You can sit if you want.”  
I replied. “Thanks,”  
He said. “So what's your name?”  
He asked. “Ivy… and you are?”  
“Ronald Weasley. But my friends call me Ron. my entire family went to Hogwarts. All of them in Gryffindor. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if I was sorted there too.” he boasted, as he continued, “What house do you reckon you're in?”  
“Well,” I started, “ I don't know much about any of them. Well, expect Slytherin.”  
“SLYTHERIN?! Absolutely not. Slytherins are evil! Every single one of them.”  
“Every single one of them? That sounds unlikely.”  
The one thing that always pissed me off is when people make assumptions. I was definitely about to let him have it. 

“I think that you are jumping to a conclusion without actually having any knowledge of this situation. Tell me, Ronald, have you met every Slytherin ever?”  
“Um.. no?”  
He stammered in response.  
“Well then, how can you know if they were all evil?”  
“Um.. well that's just what everyone says so…”  
I huffed in rage at the stupid answer. “Well, I suggest you actually do the research before saying something so offensive. Good day. Prick.”  
I got up as I flipped my hair and stormed out of the cabin. 

I guess I gotta find somewhere else to sit, I thought to myself. I wandered the hallway and found a cabin that looked empty. I opened the door and stepped in. “Ivy? Hi!”  
“Draco... Hey. sorry I thought this cabin was empty. I’ll leave.”  
“No, it's fine!”  
He said with a nervous smile. “Ok… i'll stay then.”  
I took the spot that was facing him.  
“Are you excited?”  
Draco asked. “I think I am,”  
I replied with a small smile.  
“Well, so am I. and I'm glad I have a friend going into it with me”  
Friend? I had never had a friend before. But to be honest, I was glad we were.  
“Yeah, so am I.”  
I smiled. 

We talked for the rest of the train ride and I learned all sorts of stuff. His family is a super-rich, famous wizarding family, but his dad is mean to him and he gets kind of lonely at times. I couldn't relate to the rich part, but I could definitely relate to the lonely part. By the time the train halted to a stop, it felt like we had been friends for years.


	8. Chapter 8

Draco and I quickly put our robes on top of our clothes and hurried off the train. Outside the train were big swarms of children running all over the place and talking to their friends. We shared a nervous look before making our way through the crowd when a deafening yell filled the platform. 

“FIRS’ YEARS! ALL FIRS’ YEARS FOLLOW ME!”  
A large man beckoned at us. He was unusually tall and had a long bushy beard. We followed him through the platform and towards a pathway with lots of carriages. They were being pulled by these grotesque horse-looking things, with big bat wings and green scaly skin.

“What are those?”  
I asked Draco. “Their carriages ivy. Have you never seen one before?”  
“No not the carriage, those horse-dragon.. things that are pulling them.”  
I said with a shudder. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. The carriages are pulled by magic, not horses.”  
I looked at him, then back at the horse dragons. They were right there, connected to the carriages. Why couldn’t he see them? Perhaps I was going mad. I decided not to dwell on it. I would get my answers soon enough. Draco and I climbed into the nearest carriage. As it was about to pull away, the door burst open and a girl hopped in. She had long brown hair, rosy skin and mischievous hazel eyes. 

“Sorry for barging in,”  
She panted while continuing.   
“I fell asleep on the train and I was about to miss the carriages. I hope you don’t mind.”  
“It’s not a problem.”  
I said with a shy smile. She seemed nice.   
“So.. who are you guys?”  
She asked.  
“My name is Ivy, and this is Draco. And who might you be?”  
“I’m Madeleine, but you can call me Maddie. Nice to meet you guys.”  
“You too”

“So are you guys nervous at all? I mean, I’ve been looking forward to this my whole life. In less than an hour, we’ll all find out what houses we’re all in. it’s gonna change our lives for, like, ever. ”   
Maddie Blurted. Me and Draco shared a spooked look. “Well... I hadn’t really thought about it much till now. Um, shit. Yeah, I guess I am nervous. Thanks so much.”   
I replied, with a hint of annoyance. Maddie could tell she had upset me. 

“Oof, sorry man. Don’t worry about it. Everything will probably be fine.”  
“Yeah Ivy. Don’t worry about it.”  
Draco piped in. 

I nodded, unsure. They were probably right, but still. My life was about to change forever. What if I hate it there? Maddie’s voice pulled me out of my trance. 

“Ivy? What house are you hoping to get?”   
“All I know is that I don’t want Gryffindor. They seem quite full of themselves. Right now I’m thinking I want Slytherin.”  
Draco and madeleine smiled 

“Damn right. They’re so annoying”  
Draco replied. “I want Slytherin too. My entire family has been in Slytherin and I think it would make my dad proud.”  
“Same here.”  
Maddie agreed. 

It made me happy to know that less than one day in; I had made two friends, my first ever friends, who were like me. Well, not exactly like me. I doubt that anyone could have the same amount of emotional and physiological baggage as I have. But it felt nice. 

Some time passed, and the carriages came to a stop. All the first years collectively got out of them and continued to follow the giant man towards the entrance of the building. 

The great black gates opened, and we piled into the entrance hall. Some old lady greeted us and gave us some sort of speech about something… I don’t know, to be honest, I wasn’t really listening. I figured I’d find out everything I needed to know as the night went on. 

As the speech dragged on, I glanced around the room. A bunch of kids that were eagerly watching the teacher surrounded me. They all looked comfortable here like they had been waiting for this all their lives. They’ve probably known this life for as long as they could remember. I felt out of place, Like a bull in a china shop. The other students were perfect and similar, and I was a sore thumb disrupting their peace. I’m sure their personalities were vast and one of a kind, but not one of them stood out in the crowd. Well, one of them did. She looked like me. Out of place. Nervous. Spaced. She had hair that was blue like the night sky and eyes just as dark.

I think she realized that someone was staring because she raised her head and our eyes met from across the room. She gave me a quick smile before looking away. I was pulled from my thoughts when I realized that everyone around me had made their way down the hall. I ran to catch up with them. 

“Hey Draco, Madeleine, where are we going?”  
“The great feast! It happens in the great hall at the beginning of every year. It’s where we get sorted into our houses.”  
Draco answered before Madeline continued, “and after we get sorted, we get to eat a shit ton of food. I’m talking about mountains of food.”  
She said, “My kind of day.”  
I replied, jokingly. 

We walked together until we reached the great hall. The old lady from before, who I later found out was named Professor McGonagall, told us to group around this weird-looking witch hat thing. She told us they would put the hat on our heads and tell us what house we are meant to be in. I didn't think my situation could get any weirder, but what did I know? The hat suddenly broke the silence in the great hall by bursting into song. 

“Oh, you may not think I’m pretty,  
But don’t judge on what  
I’ll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I’m the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.  
There’s nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can’t see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.  
You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you’ve a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You’ll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folk use any means  
To achieve their ends.  
So put me on! Don’t be afraid!  
And don’t get in a flap!  
You’re in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I’m a Thinking Cap!”

What the hell, right? When the song finished, the whole room burst into applause. Professor McGonagall started calling out names to be sorted. “Abbott, Hannah!”  
A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. “HUFFLEPUFF!” shouted the hat.

She called a few more names before they called Draco and Madeleine and me up. “Bones, Susan,”  
“HUFFLEPUFF!  
“Boot, Terry!”  
“RAVENCLAW!”  
“Granger, Hermione!”  
“GRYFFINDOR!”

They called Draco up next. He swaggered over to the stool and sat down. The hat barely even touched his head before yelling out, “SLYTHERIN!”   
He smiled widely and ran over to the Slytherin table. 

The Slytherins clapped and whistled, but the rest of the room book and laughed. I was so sick of people being like that towards Slytherin and now towards my friends, that I did the first thing that popped into my mind. I stood upon the platform where the stool was and started cheering and clapping as loud as we could. Madeleine joined in too. The room went quiet instantly. We looked crazy, but I wasn’t about to let Draco take that kind of shit from everyone. 

After we calmed down, McGonagall called out the next name. It was madeleines. She got up onto the stool, and they placed the hat on her. I stayed up on the platform with her, not wanting to get down and walk through the crowd again. The professor gave me an exasperated look. The hat took some time to think for Maddie. I could hear her whispering under her breath: “not Gryffindor, not Gryffindor, not Gryffindor…”  
The hat finally decided. “SLYTHERIN!”   
“Yes!”   
She cheered. She walked over to sit next to Draco. The room didn’t dare boo again, knowing I’d just cheer louder and harder. Instead, they gave polite but unenthusiastic applause. 

McGonagall called me next “Storm, Ivy!”  
I walked a few steps to the stool, and they placed the hat on me. Then it started talking to me!

“Well, well… this one will be tricky…”  
“AHH! WHAT THE FUCK!”  
I yelled. “Watch your language.”  
It warned me. “Well, I guess this is happening then..”  
I breathed. The hat continued to talk to me. “You are tough to figure out ivy. Let me ask you, what house do you want to be in?”  
A question I found myself being asked a lot today. Now I was certain. “I want Slytherin.” 

“Slytherin... Are you sure? You wouldn’t like Gryffindor? You sure are bold… or Hufflepuff? You seem to care about your friends very much. Maybe Ravenclaw? You’ve got a good head on you.”  
“No. you heard me. I want Slytherin”  
“Well, all right then. I have to agree. You’d be a good fit there.”  
The hat waited a moment before hollering, “SLYTHERIN!”

I exhaled and ran over to my friends. They cheered for me as I took my spot beside them. We watched the rest of the ceremony together.   
I watched as the girl with the blue hair got called up. Her name was bethalynn. She was sorted into Slytherin almost immediately. She smiled softly at her feet and wandered over to our table. She took a spot right next to me. 

“Hi,”  
She said.  
“My names beth.”

She had a dreamy voice. It sounded like butter and she smelled like flowers. I liked her the second she started talking. 

“My name is Ivy.”  
I said as we shook hands. We talked throughout the rest of the ceremony. Maddie and Draco joined in. 

When the ceremony finished, we ended our conversation and watched the mountains of food appear on our tables. Everyone gasped in delight. I had never seen so much food in my life. Back at the orphanage, I was lucky to get one meal a day. I was malnourished. I ate like there was no tomorrow. Madeleine chuckled.   
“Sorry,”  
I told her sheepishly. “It’s just, I’ve never seen this much food in my life.”

“I hear you,”  
Replied to a voice. I thought it was madeleine, but it turned out to be a girl sitting in front of me. She was petite and had dirty blond hair. She smiled as she continued. “I’ve never seen such fancy food before. It’s definitely an upgrade.”  
I laughed in response. “I'm Ashlyn, but you can call me Ash.”  
“I’m Ivy.”

Ash joined our group’s conversation. We talked about all sorts of things. Where we were from, (madeleine was from London, Ashlynn was from oxford, Beth was from Ireland. Draco was from London as well.), What kind of stuff we liked and how much we were looking forward to our new lives. 

By the end of the feast, we were all stuffed to the brim with the amazing food and extremely sleepy. We all walked to the Slytherin common room together and read the roommate sign. “Hey, us girls are all in the same dorm!”  
Beth exclaimed.  
We all gave a round of tired cheers. 

“Who are you with Draco?”  
I asked. “Some friends I’ve known for a bit, plus one boy i don’t know, but I’m happy with it”  
“Great!”  
Maddie replied. 

We all trudged to our rooms. I gave Draco a quick side hug before we split up. The girls and I piled into our dorm, taking off our robes but not bothering to change the clothes we had on underneath. We all fell asleep instantly, with big smiles on our faces. This year was going to be fun. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hey people. as most of you probably know, the corona virus is currently infecting tons of people all around the world. where I live, schools have been suspended for three weeks. it kind of sucks, but at least I get more Time to write, right? I hope you guy like the chapter. its the longest one yet!
> 
> I also wanted to dedicate this chapter to my friends Natalie Danielle and Madeleine. we used to see each other every day, but because of the virus, we haven't seen each other in almost two weeks, and it sucks because I miss them. they were actually the inspiration for Bethalynn, Ashlynn and madeleine in this story. I know they are reading this so... hey guy! miss you a lot and I can't wait to see you again.
> 
> aside from that I just want to remind everyone to be super safe. don't go outside if you don't have to, please don't hang out in large groups of people and stay healthy. hope you all are safe and healthy. 
> 
> bye
> 
> xx

“Guys wake uppppppp!”

“What the fuck, Madeleine?”

“Get your asses up, girls! It’s the first day of school!”

That definitely got our attention. We all shot out of bed like missiles. There was excitement in our eyes, but also uncertainty. We knew our lives would be changed forever after today. That was a given. But we had no clue of the extent of the change. 

We put our robes on and walked out to the common room. I had never really taken in its beauty. It was the dungeons, behind a blank stretch of stone wall. 

The room had high, black stone walls that had Ivy stretching from floor to ceiling. Plush green velvet sofas and loveseats grouped in circles and black marble tables sat in the center of them. A grand fireplace occupied one wall, while black and green patterned carpets lined the floors to keep our feet away from the cold stone. And the best part? The back wall had massive, floor to ceiling windows that displayed the great lake. 

That’s right, our common room was under the great lake. Every so often, we would see the giant squid swim by. He was actually rather friendly, doing cool tricks and placing one of his tentacles on the glass, as if he was saying hello. 

“Are we ready? Do we have everything?” 

Ash panicked. 

“Calm down man,”

Madeleine comforted, as she went down the list of what we needed. 

“Bags?”

“Check.”

The rest of us responded in unison.

“Quills?”

“Check.”

“Books?” 

“Check.” 

“Parchment?”

“Check.” 

“Wands?”

“Check!” 

“Well, that should do it. We’ve got everything we need. No need to worry.”

Beth reassured. We walked out of the common room, a joyful bounce to our step. 

The four of us stopped at the great hall for breakfast first. “It’s important to have a good breakfast before a big day you know.”

Madeleine reminded us. The others agreed and ate good, healthy breakfasts, but I couldn’t eat at all. I felt sick. This wasn’t excitement. I felt panic rising through my body. My heart pounded in my ears. My hands shook, and my head was buzzing. My chest hurt. I had to get out. I wouldn’t show anyone this side of me. Weak, scared, stupid. I tried to speak without sounding shaky. 

“Hey, I’m going to the bathroom ok?”

They responded with a chorus of yeahs and oks.

I walked normally till I was out of their sight, then I bolted. I ran through corridors, up staircases. I finally found a private, dark room. 

I slammed the door shut, out of breath. My knees were trembling so hard that within a second, my legs gave out. I was a trembling, crying heap on the floor. My brain was trying so desperately to comprehend what was happening. It was running a mile a minute, and I was afraid it would short circuit. 

And then there was the voice. A high, shrill, snake like voice that haunted me to my very core. “Destroy everything… these people won’t accept you. You’re an outcast. You always will be. Use this anger... Burn them to the ground.”

A green light engulfed my body like flames. 

“NO! Nonononono I won’t. I won’t hurt anyone. Go away!”

“You know you want to Ivy….”

“NO!”

By now, hot tears were streaming down my face and I looked like a wreck. 

“Miss? Are you all right? Do you need help?”

I tried my best to make any coherent sound.

“Wha.. who.. Um, I... I can’t make it stop please hel.. Help me.” 

The boy sat cross-legged in front of me. “I’m going to help you, okay?”

I nodded desperately.

“Just follow my breaths.”

He took a long and deep breath in, held it for a few seconds, then let it out. He did this about ten times, and I followed. It didn’t completely help me, but it slowed my heart and cleared my head enough for me to get a grasp on my senses. 

“Wh-what was that?”

I asked.

“I believe it was an anxiety attack. Do you feel all right? Do you want me to get someone?”

“Nonono, I’m all right, please don’t bother anyone. Just keep talking, please. Who are you?”

“My name is Louie.”

“You aren’t British.”

I stated. He chuckled.

“I am a transfer student from beauxbatons. The wizarding school in France”

I felt increasingly better as we kept talking. My tear-stained face grew a smile. 

“Well, I’m Ivy. I like your accent.”

His accent was flowery and elegant. And it wasn’t just the accent. He was beautiful too. He had long-ish, curly brown hair, pale skin. He smelt like lilies. Everything about him was ethereally beautiful. Almost otherworldly. What struck me the most, though, were his eyes. They reminded me of Remus, in the sense that they were so kind and genuine. My people-judger told me he was a good person.

“It’s almost 9:00 Ivy. would you like me to walk you to class?”

I nodded, almost too fiercely. 

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Of course mon chéri.”

He grabbed my hands to help me up. As we started walking, he kept his hold on one of them. It was surprising, but kind of awesome. I never wanted to let go. I told him I had potions first, and he walked me all the way to the dungeons. When we reached the classroom, he even walked me to my desk.

“Are you sure you are all right? Maybe I could take you to the infirmary if you aren’t feeling up to this.”

“I’m fine, Louie. Don’t worry.”

A small smile spread over his lips. “Don’t worry?”

He started dramatically. His voice lowered to a whisper as he continued,

“How could I not worry about someone as beautiful as you?”

Oh damn. My cheeks flushed, a furious red. My brain stopped functioning, and I couldn’t seem to say anything. Louie gave a little laugh and grabbed my right hand. 

“Au revoir mon chérie.”

He pressed a quick kiss to my hand and left the classroom. I was in a daze.

of total bliss. 

“Ivy? Ivy! Earth to Ivy!” 

My friends had grouped around me, and Ashlynn was shaking my shoulder. Next thing I knew, questions were bombarding me.

“What was that?”

“Who was he?”

“Why did you leave the great hall? “

“Are you ok?”

“He’s really hot.”

“I’m not really sure what that was. His name is Louie, I met him an hour ago. I left the great hall because… I just needed some fresh air. No need to worry, I’m fine. And yes Beth... I guess he is pretty hot” 

That was unexpected. Bethalynn was normally so calm and quiet. But hey, I wasn’t complaining. It was hilarious. 

“Not just pretty hot Ivy, MEGA hot.”

“All right, stop drooling Beth.” 

“Sorry.”

“Hey, I know him!”

Madeleine piped in.

“He’s a second year Ravenclaw with my brother. Supposedly he’s some foreign exchange student or something. All the girls in his year are obsessed with him, but he hasn’t been interested in any of them. Kind of a lone wolf.”

Ashlynn gasped in excitement.

“Oh my god, Ivy, what if he likes you! That would be so cool!”

“Ok, slow your roll cupid. He’s a whole year older than me. I seriously doubt it.”

“But he kissed you!”

“He kissed my hand, Ash. maybe that’s just something they do in France.”

“Or maybeeee it’s something people do when they LIKE SOMEONE!”

She squealed.

Madeleine could tell that I was uncomfortable and came to my aid.

“Drop it ash. She doesn’t want to talk about it.”

“Fine. Sorry, Ivy.”

I gave her a small smile in response to show there were no hard feelings. I tried to change the subject so the tension would ease out. “So are you guys excited for potions?”

“I am!”

Beth squealed.

“I’ve done extensive research on the art of potion making back at home. It’s quite fascinating, really.”

“My brothers have told me the teacher’s super scary. Apparently he picks on kids for no reason. And he’s a really hard grader. Half his students last year failed.”

Madeleine added. 

“Well, we’ll just see about that.”

Ashlynn said. 

“I’ve been known to talk my way out of tricky situations. Betcha I can get him to like us.”

“Well, we’ll just see about that.”

I giggled. 

We chatted for a few more minutes until our teacher entered the room. Madeleine was right, he was scary. He was a tall, thin man, with greasy black hair and cold black eyes. “Everyone in your seats. Now. lest you want to start your first day with a fail.”

I could tell from less than five minutes that this class would be a blast. 

“My name is Professor Snape. I am your potions master. I will not tolerate misbehavior of any kind in this classroom. This is school, not a tea party. Now, can anyone tell me What I would get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”

He looked quite cocky. Perhaps he thought no one would know the answer. Well, he had clearly never met Bethalyn Colts before. Her hand shot into the air in less than five seconds. 

“Excuse me sir, but I believe you’d brew a sleeping potion so powerful that anyone who drinks it would appear dead. Which would explain the potion’s name; the drought of living death.”

Snape looked baffled. “That potion is quite advanced. I’m surprised a child such as yourself even knows about it.” 

He sneered.

“Well sir, I am quite fond of potions. I believe you will find I am very good at them. And excuse me for saying this, but you shouldn’t judge someone’s worth based on their age. You may find yourself seriously underestimating people.”

Beth responded. There was no sass or sarcasm in her voice. She spoke as if she was stating a fact. Which, to be fair, I think she was. Me, Maddie, Draco, and Ash giggled under our breaths. Every head in the room snapped over to the professor, to see what his reaction would be.

“Very well. Everybody stop staring. You look like idiots.”

The class went on with no further jabs at us. It wasn’t like he was a ray of sunshine or whatever, but he was considerably less evil than expected. We were instructed to make the earlier mentioned draught of living death. We opened to page five of our books and read the instructions. 

  
  


The following recipe can be followed to brew this potion:

  1. Add the[ Infusion of Wormwood](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Infusion_of_Wormwood).

  2. Add the[ powdered root of asphodel](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Powdered_Root_of_Asphodel).

  3. Stir twice clockwise.

  4. Add the[ sloth brain](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Sloth_brain).

  5. Add the[ Sopophorous bean](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Sopophorous_bean) juice.

  6. Stir seven times anti-clockwise.

“Simple enough” 

I whispered under my breath. I followed the instructions and finished my potion quickly, so I sat back to see the other’s progress. Like me, Beth, Ash, Madeleine and Draco had already finished. Most of the students in the class, including many baffled gryffindors, were nowhere near being finished. I didn’t understand what was so hard about it. You throw some ingredients into a cauldron and do what the books tell you. Not exactly rocket science. 

After everybody finished, professor snape came around to look at all of our potions. Saying he was wildly unimpressed was an understatement. Some kids added a wrong ingredient, or stirred it the wrong way, and the cauldron had bubbled over and spilled all over them. The scowl on his face could be seen from a mile away.

I guess he assumed our potions would be just as bad as the rest, but he was pleasantly surprised. “Well. looks like you five have executed this to perfection. Well done.” 

We smiled at each other, excitedly. “The rest of you, blithering idiots, pay attention to these five. They could teach you a thing or two. Fifty points to slytherin.”

With that, the bell rang, and we headed to our next classes. The rest of the day was a blur. We had Charms next, followed by Astronomy, Herbology, History of Magic, Transfiguration, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and then Flying lessons.

Everything was fine. Not as fun as potions, but fine nonetheless. 

After the day was done, we all grouped together in the great hall for supper. For the first time that day, I ate. I piled my plate high with potatoes, roast beef, vegetables, bread… anything I could grab, really. The others looked at me with surprised faces.

“Hey, don’t fucking judge, I’m hungry.”

They all laughed in response. Again I found myself in a warm, happy environment that was so unusual to me, but so welcomed. I didn’t want it to ever change. But you don’t always get what you want. 

With our bellies full of food and smiles on our faces, we wandered over to our common room, but none of us were ready for bed. Draco offered us a solution.

“Follow me, I know where we can go.”

He took us up through an empty staircase. We found ourselves in the planetarium. We were not alone, though. To my total shock, Louie was already sitting there. His face lit up when I came in and he rushed over to me. 

“Bonjour mon amour. How are you?” 

“I’m fine, Louie. Why are you here?”

“I love the stars. I come here every night. What about you?”

“Didn’t feel like sleeping.”

“Do you want to sit with me?”

He looked nervous for some reason. Like I would say no. I looked over at my friends for approval. They all nodded. Ash looked over the moon. She was smiling like she had just won a million dollars. “Okay, yeah. Lets go.”

He grabbed my hand and led me to the front of the room, near the glass. We sat down together. 

“So are you sure you are feeling all right? I felt terrible about what happened all day. I wish there was more i could have done”

“Don’t be stupid. You did everything you could have. And it helped a lot.” 

“Apologies for my stupidity”

He joked. “You really intrigue me, Ivy. You seem different from everybody else. What’s your story?” 

“My story? It’s kind of long one.” 

“We’ve got time. I put some pillows under my blanket to make it seem like I’m sleeping.”

he joked sarcastically. 

“Smart.”

I laughed. “Ok, my story… I’m an orphan. I came from an abusive orphanage. Our caregiver was an alcoholic. We didn’t have clean water a lot of the time, so we sometimes had to drink his booze. It was gross, but it’s very addicting and a hard habit to shake.”

“You drink?”

“Um, yes. Shit. You must think I’m a totally messed up person.”

“Of course not. We all have things we are ashamed of.”

He squeezed my hand and gave me a reassuring smile, as if he was telling me to keep going.

“Well, one day i just kind of broke. I decided that I couldn’t take anymore of the abuse, so I sneaked out the window and left. I ended up at a park and I decided I might as well sleep there. When i was about to fall asleep i heard a… a gunshot. It scared the living crap out of me. Then the guy with the gun tried to come after me. Him and his buddy hit me a lot. I got really mad then. Some sort of… magic, I guess, took over me. It made all of us pass out.”

“Wow.”

“I’m not done. This is the good part. I woke up in some person’s house. I thought I was getting kidnapped, but it turns out it was this wizard guy. He was the nicest man I ever met. First person I ever trusted, too. Anyway, he broke the news to me that I was a wizard, and he brought me here. And that’s where I met all of my friends. And you.”

Louie smiled at me. And there were those eyes again. I felt safe and happy around him. He pulled me into a hug.

“You are special, Ivy. Don’t let your past define you. You will have an amazing life now, and I’m glad I get to be a part of it.” 

We both let go, and I yawned. 

“Are you tired?”

He asked. I nodded.

“Well, I’ll walk you to your room”

We got up and walked sleepily to the exit. I needed to tell my friends I was leaving. Madeleine and Draco were the first ones I saw. They were sitting together… alone. Draco was telling her some sort of joke, and she was laughing. No, not laughing… giggling and blushing. Guess I wasn’t the only one being all lovey dovey. 

“Heyyyy Draco, Madeleine. I’m leaving.”

I started with a smirk. 

“Have fun with… this.”

I giggled while gesturing at them sitting so close. Draco was quick to retaliate. 

“Yeah, and you have fun with that”

He pointed at louie. Madeleine was laughing her head off, and I was blushing. 

“Oh Draco, ever the romantic. You’re in for a fun situation, Madeleine. Bye, guys. Goodnight.”

“Bye Ivy.”

They said in unison. I walked over to louie. He put his arm around my shoulder and we trudged back down the staircase. I was tired out of my mind, and I instinctively moved in closer to louie. 

We got to the common room and Louie let me go with another hug. While he walked away, I gave the password and walked into my dormitory. Much to my surprise, Ashlynn was there too. 

“Hi Ash. why are you back so soon.?”

“I was tired. What about you?”

“I got tired too. Louie walked me back.”

I could practically see the happiness explode from her head. She was smiling like an idiot. And I would be lying if i said some of that happiness wasn’t starting to rub of on me. 

“Seeeeeeee I told you he liked you! And you like him too! Your face is bright red right now and you look so happy!”

“Okay yeah, maybe I do like him. And he is being really nice to me.”

“Because he likes you!”

Ash exclaimed. 

“Maybe. But I’m too tired to deal with that right now. Goodnight, Ash.” 

I said, as I changed into my pajamas and got into bed. 

“Night.”

She yawned. She fell asleep with the biggest smile on her face. I dozed off, secretly hoping for everything to talk about too.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> ok so 1, I'm sorry this chapter is kinda short, but I seriously did not know what to write, and 2, I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been getting a lot of online work from my school and I've been really lazy about this.
> 
> anywaysssss I hope you enjoy it and I hope you guys are all safe.

Two months into my first year and I was in heaven. I had the best friends, I was excelling in most of my classes (Astronomy was the worst.) And me and Louie were getting closer by the day. He was being so friendly. Those nightly trips to the observatory became a regular, and he sat at our table for all our meals, despite the unfriendly looks from other Slytherins. I was starting to think he liked me. 

We had just finished the school day and were at supper in the great hall. 

“You fucking idiot! You can’t seriously think U2 is better than Nirvana!” I yelled at Madeleine. We were having our daily debate on muggle crap. We may have sounded pissed, but it made supper all the more fun.   
“Of COURSE I do! Nirvana can’t hold a candle to U2. Their songs are genius!”  
“Their songs are crap!”  
“BITCH FIGHT ME!”  
“I JUST MIGHT!”

Draco, Ash, and Beth’s eyes bounced back and forth between the two of us, eager to see how this one would play out. 

"Come on you guys, help us out here!” I asked them. 

“Yeah! Who do you think is right?” Madeleine asked. Blank expressions washed over their faces like they were waiting for someone to speak up first.

“Wait… you can’t seriously not know about any of them, can you?” They answered me with timid nods. They looked scared like I was about to explode or something. Me and Madeleine shared a bewildered look. How could anyone not know them? 

“I’m surrounded by uncultured fools” Madeleine muttered in disgust. We burst into laughter. 

"You guys are idiots.” I laughed. Beth responded with a cheeky grin.  
“Please. You love us.”

“Maybe.”

“Heyyyyyyyy, speaking of love…” Ash grinned as she motioned to Louie, who was making his way over to us. My face betrayed me, flushing a bright red. Louie reached our table. He hopped onto the spot beside me and draped his arm around my shoulders. 

“Bonjour Mes Amis.” He greeted us. We responded in unison.

“Bonjour Louie!” 

“How was everyone’s day?” He asked. Everyone else told him they had an excellent day. 

“Mine was okay. You know, I love all my classes, but Astronomy is hell.”

“Oh, come on, Ivy. Astronomy is amazing! It helps us better understand the universe we live in.” Beth insisted. 

Personally, I thought the universe didn’t need to be understood. I found comfort in its wondrous nature. If we knew everything, the magic of our world would disappear. 

“Some things don’t need to be explained.” I mused, staring at the bright orange flame of a small candle before me. I poked and prodded the flame with my knife as the conversation continued, much too wrapped up in my own thoughts to focus on what was being said. My attention only wavered when Professor Snape came up to our table, wanting a word with us five Slytherins. 

“You five, up. The headmaster would like a word with you.” he sighed.

“But… I haven’t finished my pudding!” Beth cried.

“Your pudding can wait, Ms. Colts. Louie, he wishes to speak to you as well. Now follow me.”

He led us led to Professor Dumbledore’s chambers. None of us (except Louie), had ever been there before. We were very nervous. What had we done? I tried to recall every instance in the past week that could have sent me here but could remember nothing. When we got there, Snape gave the password.

“Sherbert lemon,” he whispered. The door flung open, and he ushered us inside. I took in my surroundings, expecting to see some magnificent, fancy room, but it was… books. Books and old trinkets. Professor Dumbledore motioned for us to come sit before his desk. 

“come, come. We have much to discuss tonight.” We all gulped and sat in the six chairs he had provided. Ash grabbed my hand and squeezed it so tight, I thought she was going to break my arm. Who knew such a small person could be so strong?

“Well,” he started. 

“I can tell from your expressions that none of you know why you are here. Don’t worry, you have done nothing wrong.” We exhaled in relief.  
“Quite the contrary, actually,” he continued.

“For the first years, you have shown exemplary work. Your aptitudes for magic is beyond even some of our fifth years. I would like you five to be bumped up a year. Starting next week, you will attend second-year classes.”

We were shocked. We had noticed that we were good at most of the subjects, but we didn’t think we were THAT good. 

“Now, I assume you have some questions...” Dumbledore prompted. I spoke up first. 

“I understand that I’m excelling in most of my classes, but astronomy is… really damn hard. How am I supposed to keep up with second-year astronomy?”

“That’s why I’ve bought Louie here. He will help each of you with the class you’re struggling in since he’s an exemplary student and the lot of you seem to get along well. ” 

The meeting continued, and everything was settled. Starting Monday, we would be put into year two. That meant that we had the week off of our other classes to prepare. We left his office, said goodnight to Louie, and went back to our room. Draco had hurried off to tell the news to his other friends. 

“Wow… second year. Are you guys nervous?” asked Madeleine.

“Yes, I am,” I responded.

Ash spoke next, “I hope we’re good enough.” 

We sat in silence for a bit, before Madeleine popped a question. “Hey, what’s everyone doing for Christmas?”

I hadn’t thought about that before. I didn’t have any family, so I couldn’t go home. The only person I Knew outside the walls of the castle was Remus, and I was sure he had better things to do than babysit me. 

“I suppose I’ll stay here,” I responded. 

“I don’t think I can stomach two whole weeks with my family.” Said Madeleine.  
“They’re sickeningly overprotective. I swear they treat me like I’m a little baby. I reckon I’ll stay here with you Ivy.” She looked as though just talking about her parents gave her a migraine. 

“I don’t think I should go back either. My father barely pays any attention to me anymore.” Beth added. 

“What about your Ash? Are you going home?” I asked. 

“No… my parents don’t give two shits about me. I’ll stay.” She replied with indifference.

“Well..” Maddie started, “I’m sorry about all that, but I’m glad you’re all staying. We’re going to make this Christmas Amazing. You guys with me?”

We all cheered in response. So what if we weren’t with our families? We had our own families right here.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi! sorry for the wait. I dont understand why I constantly get the worst writers block ever.   
hope you enjoy!

December brought its first snow this Monday. Ordinarily, I would be in classes today, but our little group had been given the week off to prepare for our second-year classes. We did no such thing. Draco and I were hanging out in the common room. The others were playing outside in the snow. 

We sat by the roaring fireplace, trading stories of the mischief we’d gotten ourselves into back home. I was laying my head in his lap and he was playing with my hair. It may have looked like we were a couple to someone else, but we both knew that we were just very close friends. There was always a unique relationship between me and Draco then there was with the others. We were each other’s first genuine friends. 

An hour passed until the others came back inside, red-faced and exhausted. 

“Hello guys!” Beth greeted.

“You two look cozy...” Ash joked. 

“Very.” I replied jokingly.

We giggled. All except Madeleine. She looked uncomfortable. I was confused. Did I do something wrong? 

“Are you all right, Maddie?” I asked, genuinely concerned. 

“Fine.” she snapped. Was she mad at me? What did I do? I could sense that she didn’t want to talk about it, so I dropped it. Beth spoke up instead.

“Oh, I nearly forgot to tell you! A friend of mine invited me to a Christmas Party this Friday, and he said I could invite you guys! Will you come with me?”

A chorus of cheers answered her. A Christmas Party sounded fun. A welcome distraction from our nerves. 

“Who invited you, Beth?” Ash asked.

“His name is Cedric. Nice fellow.” that definitely took Maddie by surprise.

“Cedric Diggory? He’s three years older than us! And super popular! How the hell did you two become friends?!” She stammered in total shock.

“Not entirely sure,” Beth answered. “I just started talking to him. You know, making friends is much easier if you just assume everyone is a friend, to begin with.” 

The utter charisma and kindness that the girl oozed has been a mystery to me since the day I met her. I was the complete opposite. Besides these girls, I was terrible at getting people to like me. I was awkward and nervous, not like her at all. Perhaps that’s why we had become such good friends. Opposites do attract, right? 

“Wait, I don’t have a dress or anything.” I realized sadly. 

“I’ll make you one.” offered Beth. I didn’t know she could do that, but then again, that girl was full of surprises. I gladly accepted her offer. 

Everything was set. Our final four days of freedom passed and Friday came. Louie was going to tutor me at 3, but I had the rest of the day to do whatever I pleased. Beth was off making our dresses and Ash was practicing her flying out on the field. I spotted Madeleine on the couch near the fireplace and made my way over to her. 

“Hello. Are you busy? I was wondering if you wanted to do something.”

All I got in response was a look of disgust before she stormed out of the room. 

“What the hell is wrong with her?” I wondered aloud. She had been acting weird all week, with no explanation. 

With no one left around me, I decided to take a nap until I had to be at my tutoring lesson. I had about three hours, and it’s not like I had anything better to do. I took up the spot Madeleine had just abandoned and drifted off to sleep. 

_ I awoke engulfed in a thick, black fog. This wasn’t real, was it? No, I had to be dreaming. I took in my surroundings. Suburban street, full of boring, boxy white townhouses. I was back on Private Drive. There was no part of me that wanted to be here again. You know, because last time I was here, I almost got killed? I was still sitting on the cold concrete and my head was barely above the fog when I spotted a distant set of bright green eyes. They were getting closer by the second and I was freaking out. Still half sitting down, I started slowly moving backward, but it was no use. The eyes got closer and closer until finally, I came face to face with a…. Black dog?  _

_ “Hey, buddy… um, what are you doing here?” he just barked in response. This was not what I was expecting. He was a medium-sized, black scruffy dog. Almost looked like a wolf. He started walking away, and I had a powerful urge to follow him. We walked through streets, forests, and up hills. I kept calling out to him, asking where we were going, what he wanted, but he would just look back at me for a second, then keep walking. What seemed like hours passed by, and I was getting restless. _

_ “Excuse Me?!!” nothing in response.  _

_ “Where are we going?!” Nothing. _

_ “HEY!!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. With that, he turned his head and muttered, _

_ “Ivy, Don’t you have that tutoring thing soon?”  _

_ “What?” _

_ “Ivy…. Ivy! Wake up!” _

My eyes slowly opened and the peaceful hills I was once on faded away. I found myself back in the common room, with Beth’s face inches from mine. She was shaking my arm to wake me up. 

“Bethhh what the bloody hell are you doing?” I mumbled sleepily.

“You have to go to your tutoring lesson with Louie in ten minutes! Get changed, dummy.” she replied. I got up, threw on a sweater, and walked down the hallways of Hogwarts, till I got to the empty classroom I was supposed to be in. I spotted Louie at one of the tables in the back and I went to join. We exchanged greetings and got to work. He was helping me prepare for second-year astronomy. The lesson lasted about an hour, and I felt much more confident in the subject by the end.

“Thank you, Louie. Really. I don’t know what I would do without you.” I said.

“You’re very welcome. I am glad I could help you.”

“Are you coming to the Christmas party, Louie?” I asked. I really wanted him to come. 

“Oh, erm… yes, I am. Are you?”

“Yes. I’ve never really been comfortable in a dress though. I'm worried I’ll look stupid or ugly or something.” I worried aloud.

“Impossible.” he blurted out. We were both taken aback by that. We both blushed 

“Thank you,” I mumbled as our eyes met. We shared a smile and couldn’t seem to look anywhere else.”

“Ivy…” he started. He couldn’t finish though. At that very moment, Madeleine burst into the room, interrupting the private moment. She was dressed for the dance in a pretty purple dress that she had shown our group the day before.

“Oh, Louie! There you are! Are you ready?” she said cheerfully. Almost too cheerfully.

“Erm… yes. I am ready.” Louie responded, uncomfortably. He blushed again as Madeleine grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room. 

“This will be such fun!” she giggled. They left me alone in the empty classroom, feeling embarrassed and upset. Why on earth would Madeleine ask Louie to the dance? From what I could tell, she didn’t like him. I thought she was rather smitten with Draco…

The Hufflepuff common room was filled with the laughter and chatter of everyone there. The music was loud and everybody was having a delightful time. Well, all except me. I was sitting alone on a couch at the back of the room watching Madeleine making an enormous deal of being there with Louie. Holding hands, dancing… What the hell had I done to deserve that? She knew I liked him. I noticed that she was being rather rude to me this entire week. Was this part of it? It was making me sick.

“You all right Ivy?” Draco asked, sitting next to me on the couch. I shook my head no, not taking my eyes off the “couple”. 

“Yeah me neither.” he responded. I turned my head to him, and he was looking at Maddie and Louie too. 

“So you do like her then?” I confirmed, not all that surprised. 

“Yes… and you him?” I nodded in response. 

“Do you want to dance?” I asked him. We decided that we wouldn’t let them ruin our party. We ran to the middle of the room where everybody was dancing. I grabbed his hand, and we started dancing like crazy. We were laughing and flailing around, not caring what anyone thought. The skirt of the amazing Beth made was flowing around with me. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Madeleine giving me a venomous stare. Two songs in Draco slipped out to go to the bathroom, so I went to get a drink. I was leaning against a wall drinking some pumpkin juice when madeleine approached me furiously. 

“What the hell do you think you are doing?!” she yelled.

“What?” 

“Why are you dancing with Draco?!” 

“I could ask the same of you and Louie. What are you doing with him, anyway?” I retaliated angrily. 

“Why should that matter to you?” she spat. 

“You know bloody well why!” Our yelling had attracted a crowd. Beth and Ash pushed their way to the font to make sure we were okay. 

“Girls what is this?!” Beth asked. 

“I’ll tell you what it is!” I screamed.

“SHE has been so rude to me for almost an entire week now with no explanation! And now she’s trying to piss me off by taking the boy she knows damn well I really like to this stupid thing and now has the audacity to accuse me of stabbing her in the ba-” I was cut off by a sharp pain in my cheek. She SLAPPED me. I was completely overtaken by my fury now. I lunged forward, trying to get her back, but Beth and Draco quickly grabbed my arms and dragged me away while I and Madeleine screamed at each other. Ash and Louie trying to calm Madeleine down was the last thing I saw before my friends pulled me out of the room.

  
  



End file.
